


The Maximum Ride

by Interupptingmoose218



Category: Maximum Ride - James Patterson
Genre: Cage, Car Sick, Cars, Fang - Freeform, Fire, Flock, Flying, Gasman - Freeform, Gazzy - Freeform, Maximum Ride - Freeform, Mean, Motion Sickness, Nudge - Freeform, Sad, School, Science, Sleep, Wings, Wolves, air, angel - Freeform, erasers, feathers - Freeform, fly, iggy - Freeform, lab, max - Freeform, sedative, wolf - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-05-01
Packaged: 2018-06-04 12:33:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6657844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Interupptingmoose218/pseuds/Interupptingmoose218
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Max and the rest of her flock are taken to the school, but this isn't the same school. It's different, the scientists are different meaner. How will Max and her flock escape this time?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Maximum Ride

The cool autumn air coasted across my tawny feathers, each tiny movement altering my position just slightly. I was leading my flock, toward where I wasn't exactly sure, a large expanse of pine forest stretched under us. The sun was setting slowly on the horizon. From beside me, Fang yawned and shook his head, his long black hair flopping back in his face when his head relaxed. We were all tired, we'd been flying all day almost 4 hours without a break for food, and even more before lunch. 

"Max?" Iggy called from somewhere behind me, I assumed from somewhere next to The Gasman. The two were best friends, and partners in all crimes relating to explosions, and things that go boom. 

"Yeah Ig?" I called back. 

"Can we stop, i'm so hungry I could eat an entire pig!" He cried. 

"I want some!" Nudge said, making Iggy laugh. I chuckled slightly, and Fang flashed me a smile. 

"Yeah we can stop, we'll set up camp in the forest. Sound good to you?" I asked the flock, they chorused out a loud yes, from Fang I got only a curt nod. I shook my head, God, was he ever the strong and silent type. I tucked my wings to my side tightly, and ducked into a tight fast dive snapping them back out at the last second and preventing a very gruesome death. I touched down in a clearing gently, the flock landed noisily beside me. Iggy and Gazzy set off into the woods, claiming they were 'bird-watching' But I had never in my life seen them show the slightest interest in birds so I didn't believe it. But as long as they didn't set the forest on fire I figured they were fine. Nudge and I began gathering firewood, while Fang and Angel moved off to search for dinner. The two of them made quite a pair, Angel could track down the 'prey' using her mind reading abilities and with Fang's quiet stealth he could easily catch and kill whatever animal it happened to be. Nudge and I were able to get a nice fire started by the time Gazzy and Iggy came out of the forest giggling quietly. Fang and Angel returned soon after carrying 2 bunnies, and a squirrel. 

"I hate this," Nudge said. "I hate having to eat the bunnies," She said with a sad face. 

"I know sweetie, but it's all we have," I said. Nudge nodded. 

"Yeah I know," She said with a sigh, she crossed her arms over her chest as the cool autumn breeze picked up. Fang sat down beside me with a smile, I returned it. Iggy burst into loud laughter from the other side on the fire, Gazzy was talking excitedly to him with a large smile exagerating something waving his hands through the air. I shook my head and chuckled. Angel suddenly flew to her feet, her dinner fell to the ground with a dull thud where it lay forgotten, we all turned to look at her she had her head cocked to the side listening to something intently similar to the way Iggy listened to the Tv when his favorite team was playing. 

"Angel what is it sweetie?" I asked trying to keep my voice even, though I was starting to get worried, my eyes quickly scanned the perimeter but I didn't see anything wrong. 

"Erasers." She simply stated. "But they're... different.... smarter. Max, these guys are bad," She said her eyes widening in panic. The flock was on their feet snapping into battle positions immediately, their eyes scanning the forest Iggy's head snapped around to every twig snap, and bird call. Suddenly as if out of a movie they melted out of the forest. They came from all sides, I quickly counted at least 50 maybe more. And I immediately saw what Angel had meant, these were different. All different colors, white ones, grey ones, black ones, brown ones. They were huge, much bigger than Ari and his Erasers, their huge wolf muscles rippled at they moved across the clearing, closing in on us their eyes gleaming in sick hunger. They were excited. The one I saw as the leader was even larger easily 8 feet tall maybe more, beside me Fang tensed. I unfurled my wings showing the flock that we were going to take off, they copied me slowly unfurling their wings as if a sudden movement might scare the Erasers into charging. The leader, a huge hulking black Eraser grinned at us, his awful yellow canine teeth gleaming in the moonlight. He rolled his shoulder and much to my dismay unfurled a pair of massive white wings easily a 16 foot wingspan. 

"Now now," It spoke with a horrible smirk, the voice was gravely and evil and sent shiver's down my spine. Iggy growled under his breath, a deep noise I'd never heard him make before, it surprised me but I didn't say anything. "Don't go running. Let's make this easy and no one gets hurt okay?" The Eraser growled, sounding horribly pleased at what I did not know. Fang snorted, The Eraser growled at him, Fang narrowed his eyes. It was quiet except for the crackling of the fire which now seemed distant. I glanced at the small army and felt a pit form in my stomach. We'd done some amazing things, taken on some huge numbers of these guys but these Erasers were different. I didn't know how, but I knew they were. There was just to many of them, I knew we couldn't take them. But that didn't mean we'd give in without a fight. 

"Bring in wolf-boy," I hissed. The Eraser looked at me, it's eyes gleamed in excitement before it lifted it's massive head and let out a bone chilling howl. The Erasers moved foreward as if they were a liquid they moved together melting toward us surrounding us. Fang let out a screech of fury and launched himself at the nearest one throwing punches, his fists flying, his wings beating wildly, the Eraser fought back. Fang delivered a swift upper-cut which should have knocked a normal Eraser down. The Eraser's head flew up and then came back down slowly. It spit on the ground and smirked at Fang, Fang looked at it, shocked before the Eraser delivered a blow to Fang's stomach which caused him to double over retching hard into the grass, while he was down the Eraser kicked him knocking him onto the grass. The Eraser stepped on Fang's wing and Fang screamed as I heard a sickening crack which caused me to scream and launch myself at it. I pounded on it's back, and kicked it, hard. It did nothing, it was if I were a fly pounding on a brick wall. The Eraser lifted me and slammed me hard onto the ground I tried to twist away in the air but the Eraser brought me down hard on Fang's broken wing causing him to scream again, I felt something warm and wet on my back and realized with sickening truth that it was Fang's blood. I flew to my feet and glanced around, Iggy was handling a large grey Eraser close to me, but I could tell he was losing. Gazzy and Angel were pounding at a brown Eraser, one of Gazzy's eyes was swollen shut, and Angel had a fat lip and was bleeding. Nudge was lying on the grass unconsious. I cried out as the Eraser raked it's long claws down my face, warm blood poured down soaking my shirt and dripping onto the grass where Fang lay unconcious. The corner's of my vision was going black as I received a punch to the stomach, I bent over onto the grass and retched, The Eraser kicked me knocked me off my feet and I landed on Fang's good wing. The last thing I saw was Iggy falling before the Eraser brought it's foot down and I sank into the blackness. 

******

When I opened my eyes slowly and painfully I was welcomed by the rocking of a vehicle, and the painful pounding of my head. I forced my eyes open more and glanced around, I moved my arms and noticed they were tied together tightly, I had a bitter tasting gag in my mouth. I lifted my head, the flock was surrounding me. We were in the back of a van, Iggy was seated next to me his head down staring at his lap, tears sliding down his cheeks and landing on his jeans. My eyes softened, Iggy never cried. Not ever. Fang was still asleep slumped across from me, Nudge was on my other side. She looked up at me, her beautiful eyes huge with panic. Angel was seated next to Fang staring out the window, her eyes full of hurt. Gazzy was on Fang's other side he too was crying but was in no way trying to hide it. I moved my wings and noticed with happiness that they were free. I wrapped one wing around Iggy's shoulder and pulled him against me, he buried his face in my shoulder. We were alone in the back but I could see two Erasers in the front seat. Iggy lifted his head and looked up at me, his unseeing eyes red from tears full of hurt and sadness. He leaned his head back on my shoulder and I wrapped my wing around him. We sat like that for at least an hour before the van lurched to a stop, the doors were wrenched open at we blinked up at the sunlight. An Eraser stood, he undid our gags with a grunt but left our hands tied. I spat mine out gratefully. 

"Bathroom break," The Eraser stated pointing toward the forest. I looked around at the flock, Gazzy got up bashfully and shuffled his way into the trees with the Eraser close behind. He came back a few minutes later and sat back down. 

"He gets really motion sickness in cars," I said pointing to Fang who was still asleep his broken wing hanging uselessly remembering the last time we'd been transported by van. It hadn't ended well. The Eraser grunted and handed us a bucket before closing the door with a slam. The van began to move again, and we drove for about 20 minutes when Fang's eyes fluttered open and he lifted his head slowly and shook it. 

"Max?" He slurred. 

"I'm here Fang. I'm over here," I said, Fang's head turned in my direction and his eyes opened wider. He looked across at the flock and I saw the relization in his eyes. He looked down at the bucket at his feet and blushed. I shot him a sympathetic look. Fang looked down at his wing, and moved it just a tiny bit. He hissed and bit his bottom lip and let it hang loosely again. The van went over a huge bump and Fang winced with a nauseous sigh his eyes glancing to his bucket. I heard a phone, and one of the Erasers from the front seat flipped open a phone. Iggy cocked his head to the side, listening to the conversation.

"You got em?" Came a voice from the other end. The Eraser grunted out a yes. "Really? The ones from California? Are you sure?" The Eraser said yes again a little more angry now. 

"Okay okay, good. Bring them here, up to New York. Good job," The man hung the phone up with a click. Fang's eyes widened when he heard the destination, I gave him another sympathetic look. We had been in Oregon when we were caught. Fang couldn't last in a car ride that long. Fang was going to be in for a long ride. 

"Dammit! I have to pee!" Iggy cursed beside me. 

"Why didn't you go when the Eraser came over?" Gazzy questioned, Iggy shot him a look. 

"I can't go with him watching me!" Iggy cried. 

"Then you gotta wait. Sorry Ig," I said. Iggy sighed. The van went over another bump and Fang groaned shutting his eyes tight. Gazzy looked pale, I knew he hated it when people threw up and he was sitting right next to Fang. 

"Hey Nudge? Can you switch with Fang?" I asked, Nudge looked at The Gasman and nodded knowing my reasoning. Fang shuffled across kicking the bucket with him and sat next to me. 

"Try to go to sleep Fang," I said feeling more like a mother than a leader. Fang nodded slowly and leaned his head back with a huge yawn. He closed his eyes and minutes later he was asleep his head slumped against my shoulder and he began to snore. 

"I really have to go," Iggy muttered. Nudge sniggered, and Iggy glared at her she shut up. 

"I don't know what to tell you Ig," I said. Iggy sighed again. 

"Just pee on the floor," Gazzy said with a smile. I was glad that he was trying to keep a good attitude, to have a sense of humor even in this situation. Iggy glared at him. "Sorry sorry. It was just a joke," Gasman defended with a smile. Iggy rolled his eyes. I looked over at Angel. She was still staring out the back window, she hadn't said a thing since I had woken up. I was worried about her. 

"Angel? Are you okay sweetie?" I asked. Angel looked at me but didn't say anything. She instead turned her head to look back out the window. "We're gonna get out of this sweetheart. We'll figure it out okay?" I said. Angel ignored me. We went over a bump and Fang's head flew up his eyes wide open. After realizing there was no threat he relaxed and leaned back against the seat looking pale and worried. I knew what he was worried about. 

"Fang? How you feelin'?" I asked. 

"Not great," Fang replied bending over and staring into the yellow bucket as if staring at it would make his motion sickness go away. After about 5 minutes of this Fang gagged and opened his mouth letting last night's dinner of squirrel fall into the bucket with disgusting splashing sounds that the van only amplified. I looked over at Gasman with one wing on Fang's back while he was sick. Gazzy was staring at him looking pale. Fang finished and sat up, he lay down on the seat next to me and curled up wrapping his good wing over his head like a baby bird a few minutes later he was snoring loudly. Iggy buried his face in his wing. 

"God! That's all I can smell!" He said motioning to Fang's bucket of sick with his other wing. "Curse my blindness, and sensitive nose!" He cried. 

"Don't get mad at him!" Nudge defended Fang. "He can't help it!" 

"I'm not mad at him! It's just gross!" Iggy cried back. 

"Shhhh! You'll wake him up and then he'll just get sick again," I said. Nudge and Iggy quieted. 

I stood up quickly, the flock looked up at me quickly. "Okay, we're getting out," I decided bumping Fang awake, he sat up silently. I used my teeth to untie Iggy's hands and he then untied the rest of our but we kept them behind our backs we didn't want the Eraser's to know. I walked up to the front of the van with nothing seperating us and the Erasers but a thick sheet of glass, I pounded on it getting their attention. "Please stop!" I put on my best pleading voice. "My friend really really needs to go to the bathroom, please," I begged. The Eraser's glanced at each other. 

"Unless you want to clean it up pull over," One of them snapped at the driver. The driver growled but pulled over to the side of the road, I shot a glance to my flock and gave them the tiniest nod. I then sat down and waited, three of them opened the door. 

"Okay. Which one of you?" The Eraser asked with a sigh obviously annoyed. I smirked at him, he looked surprised for a second but didn't have time to react. I flew across the van planting a hard kick in his stomach. The Eraser bent down gasping, Iggy launched himself with a similar attack to the Eraser on the right his wings beating frantically blinding it with a curtain of light feathers. The Eraser let out a howl of fury it's teeth knashing and snapping at Iggy's wild wings. 

"Up up up!" I screamed practically throwing my flock into the sky. Fang looked terrified - A look I rarely saw on his face - glancing down at his ruined wing. "Iggy!" I screeched, Iggy's head flew around and he soared over to me. We grabbed Fang and soared up into the sky. The Eraser's were quiet and that bothered me but we were okay, we were safe, we'd escaped. But of course it didn't last long. Gazzy suddenly screamed and began to plummet, blood flying behind him. Nudge and Angel immediately dropped into a tight dive hurtling after Gazzy. I glanced down, a massive grey Eraser was kneeling in front of the truck pointing a rifle into the sky, he lowered his head ready to aim this time at Iggy. My heart plummeted as I realized we had no chance, we had no choice. 

"Drop! Drop! Land! They have a gun! Nudge! Angel! Drop!" I screeched, Iggy and I slowly made our way down, I refused to look at his and Fang's hurt expressions. Nudge and Angel were holding a sobbing, bleeding Gazzy and were descending back toward the Erasers looking horribly defeated. 

"That's it. Don't run, I told you. Can't we all cooperate?" A voice growled, the black Eraser from before towered over us. I held Gazzy tightly against my chest and just glared at the Eraser. The Erasers shoved us none to gently into the back of the van and slammed the door. I pulled Gazzy into my lap and began looking for his injury. I found it as soon as I bumped his wing and he howled. Those assholes had shot him in his wing. It was still bleeding profusely staining his beautiful feathers red, I took off my jacket and wrapped it around it resulting in a cry of pain from the Gasman, I held him against my chest and kissed his forehead. 

"I know baby, I know. Shhhh. You're doing so good buddy. You're so brave," I soothed him, it broke my heart to see him like this. The Gasman was my little trooper, to see him breaking down like this was awful. Iggy and seated, his unseeing pale blue eyes focused on the floor, Fang was staring at the wall, Angel was back at the window and Nudge was seated next to Iggy with a caring hand rubbing his back and reassuring him. Gazzy wrapped his arms around me and cried into my chest, I rubbed his back and waited. The Gasman had a lot of tears built up over the years and now they were all overflowing, I rubbed his back and reassured him and whispered soothing words, I stroked his other wing, and kissed the top of his head. Eventually after a while The Gasman cried himself to sleep on my lap, I didn't move in fear I'd wake him and right now he needed sleep. I looked up at Fang, he was curled up on the seat also asleep, I glanced at Angel. She hadn't moved, outside we were passing through a forest the sun was setting making the inside of the van darker. Iggy sniffled but didn't move, Nudge stayed were she was with her hand on Iggy's back. I leaned back on the seat with The Gasman and let myself drift into a sleep full of nightmarish memories. 


End file.
